Book Reviews

Brics: Non-West vs Anti-West

Can the ragtag grouping of emerging economies still drive the shift towards a more multipolar world? This book explores that and much more

Countering disinformation

This book is a compelling account of how India lives online, and what we can do - to make it a more dignified and inclusive space

India's sub-optimal industrial policy

From gender bias and employment to equal pay, this book traces various policy developments and the lessons they hold for policymakers today

Hospitality, by night and day

Former ITC executive Nakul Anand's book unpacks every aspect of the service industry, giving us the behind-the-scenes story of its iconic restaurant brands, Dum Pukht and Bukhara

US' failing wars on terror

The development of advanced weaponised drones facilitated the killing of Qaeda leaders at long range and with little risk

The Everest Mystery: Remembering the climber lost in the clouds

Sandy Irvine probably never reached Everest's summit, but he greeted its deadly slopes with a smile

The hidden complexities of daily life

From stories about Indian cricket to undersea cables that bring us the internet, a collection of essays uncovers the hidden systems and unseen connections that shape our interconnected lives

The art of judgement by stealth

The new edition makes the exercise more interesting because Mr Parameswaran has added the decade from 2015 to 2025

The silent takeover of India's health care

The Silent Syndicate examines how private equity and global finance are reshaping India's healthcare system, raising questions over ownership, regulation and patient welfare

Beyond market ideology

Sunanda Sen's new book challenges financial liberalisation, arguing that volatile capital flows can constrain policymaking and undermine industrial development in emerging economies

The unmaking of the nation state

One of the most perceptive chapters in the book relates to international law

Sea, salt and spice: History on a plate, Mumbai style, and making of a city

The book engages with a long timeline, not restricting itself, as many Mumbai history books do, with just the colonial period

The two-faced governors of Empire

The first English voyages to India ended for want of knowledge of the sea routes

How the CCP shapes national memory

The foundation of the CCP's legitimacy and the social contract it has with the Chinese people is rooted in the term it coined: "One Hundred Years of Humiliation"

Software, made in India

It was not as if Tally had a smooth ride. Mr Ahmed points out periods when the company was bloated with numerous senior managers, multiple tiers and delayed decision-making

'D K Shi' in his political labyrinth

The best part of Mr Kidwai's book may well be its timing

Rule by automation

The experience of living in the Artificial State might feel new, but Lepore says the dynamics are in fact extremely old

Bullet Nani and other Badass Indian Grandmas: Nanis beyond the stereotypes

The first generation of women of independent India carried within them important fragments of our history

The descent of Israel

The "best tool" for this diversion from criticism comes from a globally accepted definition of antisemitism endorsed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016

Creating a life in prison

Mr Farooqui describes in detail various aspects of Asia's largest and most famous jail - its food, atmosphere, his inmates and their backstories